Statement by Stephen Legault, Senior Manager, Alberta Energy Transition
Premier Smith is out of touch, calling for another pipeline while thousands of Canadians are being evacuated due to climate-fuelled wildfires.
Canmore | Traditional territories of the Treaty 7 Nations – Premier Smith’s demands for a new pipeline are reckless and insensitive to the disaster spreading across Canada. How can she, and oil executives, justify calling for more oil production and export while Canada is going up in flames? The house is on fire and some Premiers argue we should add more fuel.
Yesterday’s First Ministers meeting in Saskatoon focused on building new bitumen pipelines—a sharp contrast to the reality that over 200 wildfires, half of them out of control, are currently burning across Canada. These fires are threatening communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
A new pipeline would worsen the climate crisis and is also a wholly inappropriate response to market trends moving away from fossil fuels. A pipeline simply cannot be built on a timeline that would impact oil markets in the near term, even with an expedited review process. Building a new pipeline now, as the energy transition hastens, is also a huge waste of scarce resources.
Global oil demand is expected to decline in the coming years, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In its 2025 World Energy Outlook, the IEA notes that “growth in global oil demand declined significantly in 2024. This reflected the end of the post-pandemic mobility rebound, slower industrial growth and the increasing impact of electric vehicles.” The IEA says that “global demand for oil is set to peak before the end of the decade, as energy markets enter a period of increased supply.” Global oil markets will begin to slow long before Canada can complete another pipeline.
When this happens, these expensive, environmentally disastrous nation-building projects will become stranded assets, representing a missed opportunity for Canada to invest in renewable energy infrastructure. We’re calling on Premier Smith and the other Premiers to abandon these pipeline dreams and face the reality of a world rapidly shifting to clean, inexpensive renewable energy.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Tamara Latinovic, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
